June 19, 1929

Mid-Missourian Charles Leiper Grigg was a soft drink icon. He moved to St. Louis from his hometown of Montgomery City on this date in 1929.

June 18, 1949

On this date in 1949, Garroway at Large debuts on NBC. Dave Garroway, a University City native and Washington University graduate, was later the first host of the Today Show.

June 10, 1821

On this date in Missouri history, Potosi’s Moses Austin died and the task of settling and forming the new Republic of Texas fell to his son, Stephen Austin. 

May 27, 1911

Vincent Price is born in St. Louis. One of America’s best-known character actors was born into a wealthy and influential family, with little indication of the type of fame that was to come.

May 12, 1925

Lawrence Berra took on the nickname “Yogi” because his friends thought he resembled a Hindu holy man they had seen in a movie.

March 30, 1984

Missouri History Today is a daily post by Missouri Life magazine about an event or date important for the Show-Me State.

March 20, 1811

Birthday of "The Missouri Artist," George Caleb Bingham.

March 16, 1964

Walt Disney meets with St. Louis officials to discuss plans for the Riverfront Square theme park. But his plans were met with resistance, particularly from August "Gussie" Busch Jr., who insisted that if a theme park were to be built at the site, Disney would have to sell beer

March 3, 1911

Jean Harlow, the original "blonde bombshell," was born in Kansas City. She was famous for pinup posters, movies, and her ability to make front-page news in Hollywood magazines.

February 21, 1915

The only crematorium west of the Mississippi was located in St. Louis. On this day the body of Frank James was cremated there so it could be kept in a bank vault until the eventual burial with his wife in Independence.